Jailing rights activists

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia recently imprisoned two popular human rights activists on multiple charges, including breaking allegiance to the Saudi king, questioning official clerics’ authority, undermining public order, labelling Saudi Arabia as a police state and encouraging people and international bodies to turn against the kingdom. One of the two activists, Mohammed alQahtani, an economics professor, claimed that the charges are only excuses to imprison activists who attempt to expose human rights violations in the country. Such activists are falsely imprisoned, tortured and forcefully made to disappear, according to alQahtani. This is a threatening state of affairs where citizens are being prohibited from speaking the truth because it exposes the ugly side of the Saudi government.

In Pakistan, people have also faced consequences for speaking out against injustice and lies. The cases of governor Salmaan Taseer and journalist Saleem Shahzad immediately come to mind. These cases, and the imprisonment of Mohammed alQahtani and Abdullah al-Hamid — co-founders of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association — have garnered international attention. Hopefully, alQahtani and alHamid’s supporters will come forward to help release them from their 10-year sentences. It is a scary thought that governments can manipulate their way through the courts and judicial system to incarcerate anyone who comes in their way or voices his or her opinion; it is unfortunate that rights groups are claiming that Saudi authorities have increasingly been using courts and travel bans to target activists.

Both, in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, we dream of a government that listens to its citizens’ concerns and alleviates them — and corrects itself where necessary. A government is allowed to make mistakes but it should also learn to admit to them. Alas, we continue to dream of a place where citizens have a right to free thought, free speech and free will.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 25^th, 2013.